We all try to expand our horizons when finding new books and want to see fresh ideas but let’s not deny that there are some things we just can’t resist when we browse for new stuff to read. Some people never get sick of love stories, some love historical fiction to pieces and then there are sick psychopaths like us who just want to see people suffer in books 😀 So, authors, if you want us to read your books, just make sure that one or more of the following things are a part of your story 😉

#1: Dinosaurs/Dragons:
As much as everyone says they love reading about dinosaurs and dragons, no one ever seems to be able to list more than a few books that actually feature them which is such a shame because obviously dinosaur and dragons are the coolest creatures ever 😛Favorites: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly, Realms of the Elderling series by Robin Hobb, the Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce

#2: Creative Deaths/Murders:
We read a lot of murder mysteries, but books with deaths that are particularly gruesome or creative always stand out. Not sure what that says about us (or the authors), but it’s fascinating to read about the horrifying things people think of to do to each other.Favorites: Ragdoll by Daniel Cole, the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter, the Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain, the Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen

#3: London:
Let’s be honest: London is the coolest and most interesting city in the world and it just never gets boring to spend time there, even if it’s just in books and not for real. Also nearly every British crime novel seems to be set there and those are usually pretty good. There’s probably only one city that more exciting than London: Victorian London with Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper and it’s dark and dangerous streets that hide all kinds of evil.Favorites: The Murder Squad series by Alex Grecian, The House of Silk & Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz, the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith

#4: Serial killers:
Murder stories are already pretty exciting but the real fun starts when a serial killer is on the loose and people bite the dust every few chapters. And if you want the real thrill than look for books with female serial killers because those are the really scary ones!Favorites: Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain, Kill me Once by Jon Osborne

#5: Time Travel:
Since we can’t travel in time it’s always fascinating to think about the „what ifs“ or what kind of effect a single change would have. Also we just love to get our minds blown and even though our brains sometimes feel close to exploding when we read about time paradoxes etc. we just can’t resist good time travel stories.Favorites: 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Das Jesus Video by Andreas Eschbach, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

#6 Boarding Schools:
Obviously Harry Potter is what first comes to mind when most people think about books set in boarding schools, and there’s a reason the location worked so well. Boarding schools are the perfect setting, whether it’s a fantasy, a thriller, or a YA contemporary.Favorites: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Winger by Andrew Smith, the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray, Variant duology by Robison Wells

#7: Hackers:
As soon as a book blurb mentions hackers, we’re in. Lisbeth Salander is the most badass hacker we’ve ever read about, and we’re still on the search for another one who can live up to her standards. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!Favorites: The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson, Find Me Trilogy by Romily Bernard

#8: Plot Twists:
Probably the easiest way to get our attention with blurbs is when you add teasing lines like „with an ending you’ll never see coming“ or „the most shocking plot twist“. Then it’s not even really important what the story is about but we just have to know what the big secret is 😀Favorites: Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

#9: Islands:
There are several things that make island settings so interesting: people are often in a desperate and life-threatening situation which automatically builds up suspense, exotic islands make for good summer reads, they often hide really crazy secrets and when a murderer is on the loose it’s the ultimate thrill because you just can’t escape.Favorites: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, Nil by Lynne Matson, I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Written in Bone by Simon Beckett

#10: SciFi Mysteries:
Science fiction novels and mysteries are both great. When combined, they’re even better! There aren’t nearly enough of them, but hopefully the idea catches on.Favorites: Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, The Fold & 14 by Peter Clines, The Forever Watch by David Ramirez